Top five teams power into McGrath in tight pack
Team 39, Cody Barber and Brett Lapham, were the first team into McGrath Saturday evening. They are in a tight pack with Teams 7, 14, 10 and 6. Courtesy Renae Egrass
Mother Nature conspired against Iron Dog Pro Class racers on Saturday, but even her fierce springlike thaw wasn’t enough to keep them down. Standing water, open creeks and other treacherous conditions in Wasilla meant that the 2022 Pro Class start was a short ceremonial drive-by rather than the controlled start It was meant to be.
“Thursday conditions (were) excellent for the Expedition Class start, but all that rain kept coming,” said Iron Dog executive director Bob Menne. By Friday afternoon, things were looking dire.
“Steve Swenson, our head marshal, drove down the trail and called one of the other race marshals and told him there was a lot of water at Lucille Creek,” Menne said. “It was just too much water. Part of the stream was running.”
So Iron Dog pivoted.
Team 7 leaves the start line during of Iron Dog 2022. They are among the top teams into McGrath as of Saturday night. Courtesy Heather Sottasonti
“We had to do a ceremonial start at Menard Center,” Menne said. “I thought, ‘Let’s use Three Bears Grocery Store,’ so we called Zack Weisz and their family, who own it, and they called back right away, and said, ‘We will make it happen.’ ”
Standing water on Big Lake made conditions treacherous as well, so instead of the planned restart there, racers simply rode out of the Menard Center a few blocks, then trailered their sleds and trucked them down to Three Bears, where they offloaded and lined up again for the real racing to begin.
“It was just what we had to do, and it worked out,” Menne added, stressing the resiliency and can-do-it attitude of Alaska businesses and sponsors who help make the race happen.
Shelborne Christopher took this photo of his daughter celebrating her prize after kids snowmachine races at the 2022 Iron Dog Days, presented by Donlin Gold, in McGrath. Iron Dog board members Doug Dixon, is at left, and Mike Vasser, middle.
By 5 p.m. Saturday, most of the Pro Class Teams had already passed through the Rainy Pass Lodge checkpoint at Puntilla Lake. The first teams were set to arrive in McGrath by nightfall, where a bonfire – part of the two-day 2022 Iron Dog Days, presented by Donlin Gold – was raging on the river to meet incoming racers.
“It’s a super close race for the Top 5,” said timing official Jake Goodell of Teams 7 (Tyler Aklestad and Nick Olstad), 14 (Casey Boyland and Bryan Leslie), 39 (Cody Barber and Brett Lapham), 10 (Chris Olds and Mike Morgan) and 6 (Brad George and Robby Schachle). “We won’t be sure exactly who is in the lead until all the teams get into McGrath.”
The Expedition Class, meanwhile, continues its run toward Nome. Ambassador Team 77 arrived in Galena, where hometown hero team member and two-time Iron Dog champion Tyler Huntington was greeted by well-wishers. Team 55 scratched on Thursday, soon after their ride began, and Team 71 scratched in McGrath, although no word yet on what transpired, Menne said. In Galena, much like McGrath, there will be an Iron Dog celebration with food, prizes, a helmet giveaway, presentations and an Iron Dog parade on Sunday.
Media Contact: Bob Menne, Executive Director, Iron Dog Inc., (907) 854-0097 or (907) 563-4414, director@irondog.org
Follow Iron Dog coverage at www.irondog.org and Iron Dog’s Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/IronDogSnowmobileRace